[Chapter 767: Trip to Australia]
What is the capital of Australia?
Most people might instinctively think of Sydney, with about eighty percent likely to do so. Often, the simplest questions are the ones that are most easily answered incorrectly. Among the remaining crowd, another ten percent might hesitate, recalling Australia's other major city, Melbourne. However, both answers are incorrect; Australia's capital is Canberra, a city that doesn't boast a strong sense of presence in most people's minds.
After returning from Mexico, Eric stayed in Los Angeles for a week before setting off again for the southern hemisphere and Australia. The absence of Titanic from the summer lineup was a done deal, and the remaining two films, The Matrix and The Rock, absolutely couldn't afford to fail. The Rock was directed by John Woo and filmed not far from Los Angeles in San Francisco, facilitating easy oversight from the company.
The Matrix was a different story; despite believing in the Wachowski brothers' talent, they were still relatively new directors. Moreover, the film was entirely shot in Sydney, and the local Australian branch of Digital Domain was solely responsible for the post-production effects. The entire process was far removed from Los Angeles, prompting Eric to decide to personally check on the film's progress.
In comparison to the grandiose nature of his trip to Mexico, Eric's journey to Sydney was much more streamlined. Besides The Matrix, he had some other matters to address, possibly requiring him to stay in Australia for another week or two. Given that Kelly, as a single mother, was not suited for the trip, Eric arranged to bring two assistants from the office, plus four bodyguards, totaling seven people headed to Australia.
Filming for The Matrix had wrapped up by the end of the previous year, and the Wachowskis had already completed a rough cut of three and a half hours. The key post-production effects work had also begun. The headquarters of Digital Domain's Australian branch was located in the Camperdown area, close to the University of Sydney. With ample technical support from the American headquarters and the robust cooperation of News Corporation in Australia, the Australian branch had rapidly grown to employ over 200 staff members, primarily focused on The Matrix's post-production.
...
Eric checked into a hotel near the University of Sydney, less than a kilometer away from Digital Domain, making it convenient for work. Although it was a personal trip entirely for work, Eric was still met at the airport by a local politician and invited to attend a charity gala the following evening. Shortly after Eric's arrival, Lachlan Murdoch, the eldest son of Rupert Murdoch, who was overseeing some newspaper publishing in Australia for News Corporation, also called to invite him to a private party.
Due to jet lag and consecutive social gatherings, Eric struggled to get into a work mode for the next three days. Early on the fourth day, still feeling a bit hungover, someone knocked on his hotel room door.
When he opened it, Robert Kote, the producer of The Matrix, stood outside. Because the company couldn't lure Joel Silver to handle the project, they ultimately selected Robert Kote, a man in his forties who had previously been a producer within the Disney system and had been in the business since the mid-'80s, making him quite experienced.
Seeing Eric, who looked disheveled with his hair messy and a weary expression, Robert Kote hesitated and said, "Sorry, Eric, I didn't realize you were still resting."
At that moment, Eric was only wearing pants and had no shirt on, looking somewhat unkempt. Automatically, he raised his empty wrist but quickly realized his watch was missing and he couldn't remember where he tossed it the night before. He asked Robert Kote, "What time is it?"
"It's nine-thirty," Robert replied. "You mentioned you would be at the special effects company at nine, so I came to check on you."
"Oh, sorry," Eric said, shaking his head. "I got a bit too drunk last night. Go ahead without me. I'll, um, be there by ten-thirty."
"Okay," Robert nodded, adding, "Do you need me to get room service for you?"
Eric declined, saying, "No, I just need to take a shower and grab some breakfast."
Robert acknowledged with a sound and left without further comment. Eric closed the door, stripped off his clothes, and jumped into the bathtub, running hot water and sinking into the tub, comfortably stretching out his body as he recalled some of the previous night's events.
...
Last night, he attended a party hosted by Lachlan Murdoch at the Murdoch family estate in the suburbs of Sydney. Eric was somewhat acquainted with Lachlan and James Murdoch, but the two young men seemed to be classical examples of spoiled children, likely due to Rupert Murdoch's busy lifestyle sidelining their upbringing. Lachlan had been placed in the Australia headquarters to oversee News Corporation's publishing business, but at his first press conference, he became tongue-tied by just a few questions from reporters, demonstrating his lack of preparation.
In Australia, where News Corporation controlled over seventy percent of the media channels, reporters, regardless of how cunning they might be, had no choice but to respect the Murdoch heir, highlighting how bad Lachlan performed. The incident left Rupert Murdoch visibly disappointed.
Eric also sensed that Lachlan and James didn't particularly like him. Given their similar ages and Rupert's high expectations for his sons, it wasn't hard to imagine an ambitious father would use peers like Eric to inspire his lethargic sons.
The party was clearly a reception influenced by Rupert's directives, but Lachlan had invited a ton of his contemporaries and behaved exceptionally friendly; both boys seemed to be following instructions to toast Eric one by one, men and women alike. In the end, Eric only remembered being helped into a car by his bodyguards.
Thinking back, Eric chuckled and shook his head. He wasn't genuinely angry; after all, the less competent the Murdoch boys were, the greater the chances Elisabeth would inherit the whole News Corporation. In truth, he wouldn't mind if they got into more trouble.
...
After his shower, Eric got dressed and went down to the hotel restaurant, where one of the assistants he brought with him, Peter Rich, was already waiting for him.
After ordering breakfast, as soon as the waiter left, Peter approached to update Eric on his work over the past two days. "Mr. Williams, I got in touch with Cate Blanchett's agent, but I haven't met her in person. The agent mentioned that Ms. Blanchett is filming a TV series in Brisbane."
Eric interrupted, puzzled, "Brisbane?"
Peter Rich nodded, explaining, "Brisbane is the capital of Queensland in northern Australia; it's the country's third largest city, following Sydney and Melbourne, about seven hundred kilometers from Sydney."
Eric nodded, signaling Peter to continue.
Peter continued, "Ms. Blanchett's agent was very enthusiastic about our invitation and indicated they would get Ms. Blanchett to return as soon as possible to meet you in person."
Eric inquired, "Did you deliver the script to them?"
"It's already been given to Ms. Blanchett's agent."
Eric nodded and said, "Keep in contact with them. I don't have much time. If I can't meet her in a week, let it go."
Peter replied, "Understood, Mr. Williams. Is there anything else?"
"No, um, how's Sean doing?" Eric asked, referring to another assistant he'd brought along.
Peter responded, "He's already made contact with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), but we just found out that CSIRO's developed WIFI technology has not been patented in North America. Perhaps we don't need to purchase it from them after all."
Eric arrived in Australia, not just for the film matters but also to secure the patent rights to the emerging WIFI technology, held by a lengthy-named technical research organization in Australia.
In the original timeline, the Australian government made nearly a billion dollars annually just by charging licensing fees on billions of devices using WIFI technology worldwide. However, back then, the internet was just beginning, and few people realized the true value of WIFI, presenting Eric with an opportunity to "scoop it up."
As long as he could secure the WIFI patent, not only would he be in for the foreseeable massive licensing fees, but it would also grant him leverage and priority for companies like Cisco, Yahoo, and America Online in wireless network technology.
He understood Peter's implication; since WIFI had not been patented in North America, Firefly could acquire related technical materials without spending anything and apply for the patent themselves, claiming the technology as theirs. This tactic of preempting others' technological achievements was not uncommon across many sectors.
Nevertheless, Eric shook his head without hesitation. This was not a matter of moral righteousness; it was clear that WIFI's applications would be global in nature. Even if he preemptively claimed the patent in North America, a long legal battle with CSIRO was inevitable, not to mention the implications abroad.
"There's no need for that. Purchasing the WIFI patent won't cost much."
It would take at least another ten years for WIFI technology to fully permeate, and with the exception of Eric, no one could foresee its wide-open future. Presently, securing the patent wouldn't even amount to ten million dollars.
The waiter soon brought Eric his breakfast. He waved Peter off, finished his meal, and left the hotel to head to the Digital Domain Australia headquarters.
...
From the start of filming The Matrix, Eric had closely monitored the Wachowski brothers' progress through emails and other means. Thanks to the assistance of experienced producer Robert Kote, the brothers had faced few difficulties throughout the shooting process.
In the following days, Eric focused on discussions with The Matrix's key creative team around the film's post-production and editing processes. Despite Eric's remote guidance and Robert Kote's on-site supervision, the Wachowski brothers slyly inserted many personal touches into the film.
In the original timeline, the movie's immense success stemmed not only from its bold and novel themes of reality versus illusion but also from the profound philosophical explorations depicted by the Wachowskis. Thus, Eric didn't completely remove their inserted "personal content," but rather, based on his memory of the intended version, he made appropriate cuts to strike a balance between the film's commercial elements and its philosophical reflections.
The original version of The Matrix, after stunning audiences with the first film, suffered in subsequent installments due to Time Warner's excessive delegation of power, leaving the Wachowskis lost in their convoluted filming ideologies. This trend resulted in diminishing box office returns as each film progressed -- particularly the last installment faced failure despite the significant boost from the second film.
...
While Eric busily oversaw The Matrix's post-production in Sydney, hundreds of kilometers north in Brisbane, Cate Blanchett was completing a day's shoot. As she exited the set, her agent Ron Lather pulled up in a car, signaling her to get in.
Cate, clutching her handbag, instinctively glanced around as if feeling guilty before slipping into the backseat.
Neither spoke immediately. They drove a couple of blocks before stopping outside a cafe. After getting out and entering the cafe, they ordered two coffees and settled at a window seat. That's when Cate suddenly couldn't help but laugh, "Ron, why do I feel like we're plotting something bad?"
Ron chuckled as well, still in amazement. Just three days earlier, a young man claiming to be Eric Williams's assistant approached him, expressing Eric's interest in having Cate audition for a Bond girl role. Ron's immediate reaction had been skepticism and doubt about whether it was a scam.
After all, while he knew very well the actress he represented had exceptional acting skills, it was impossible to link her to anything associated with Eric Williams's new film.
"I feel the same way! But this is definitely a dream opportunity for everyone, isn't it? By the way, Cate, you haven't told anyone else, have you?"
Cate shook her head with a smile, saying, "Of course not. I don't want to be seen as someone who's daydreaming."
*****
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